Analysis of the behavioural effects of barley and sertraline in two in-vivo models of stress.Anti-depressant and anti-nociceptive effects of barley in mice and sertraline effects on anxiety in the offspring of prenatally-stressed rats

Abstract

To prove the post-natal depression model, the antidepressant sertraline, was assessed in rat mothers (n=14) divided into Prenatally Stressed (PS) and Non-Stressed (NS) groups. The data failed to support the hypothesis that ‘the progeny of 10mg of sertraline-treated PS mothers displayed less anxiety than the progeny of vehicle-treated PS mothers’.

The forced swim test (FST) was used to examine depressive-like behaviour in mice. Barley successfully increased mobility in mice exposed to the FST. Barley was antidepressant at low doses (0.8g/kg and upwards) if used subchronic; and at high doses(6.4g/kg and 12.8g/kg) if used acutely;(n=113,56acute,57 subchronic- treated).

Barley (6.4g/kg) was also able to alleviate the depressive-behaviour in mice induced by the Reserpine Test (n=114, 58 reserpinised, 56 non-reserpinised) and Social ‘Defeat’ Test (n=24, 8 vehicle undefeated, 8 barley defeated, 8 vehicle defeated mice).

To confirm that the anti-depressant effects of barley(6.4g/kg) were not simply due to increased locomotor activity in the FST, an Open Field Test(OFT) was undertaken (n=14,7 vehicle, 7 barley). Barley had no effect on locomotor activity and also caused no significant changes in weight (n=16, 8vehicle, 8 barley).

In mice,Barley(6.4g/kg) significantly delayed the tremorogenic effects of Physostigmine (n=18, 6 control,6 Physostigmine, 6 Physostigmine with barley); reduced bradykinesia induced by reserpine (n=18,6 control, 6 vehicle, 6 barley treated);and was analgesic in nociception tests (n =20, 5 control, 5 barley, 5 pain, 5 pain with barley). Overall, barley was seen to have many useful properties, though its effect in PND remains to be assessed.